Category: Choral Compline

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Choral Compline

Monday 18th December 2023 – 17:30

Order of Service

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God has been worshipped in this place through the prayers and praises of countless generations. Worship lies at the heart of our life as Christians and we express our theology and belief through our liturgy. It is through these liturgical patterns of words and actions that we are formed and transformed.

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Each day was marked in the western Church by seven offices or services; Compline is the last of them and it’s sung or said before retiring for the night. Saint Patrick’s Cathedral has never been a monastery, but we know that at least some of the monastic offices were sung daily by the college of clergy who made up the Collegiate Church established here in 1191.

The daily offices are based around the recitation of the Bible’s 150 Psalms of David. Compline received its liturgical form from Saint Benedict, who included it in his Rule for the monastic order he founded, the Benedictines. His version was adopted widely, and some parts of it were incorporated into the Evensong of The Book of Common Prayer in 1549, still sung daily in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral.

You are invited to say the text in bold in English.

Please stand as the Minister, at the West End of the Cathedral, sings

Let us pray. 

Please remain standing whilst the Choir and Clergy enter the stalls

The Lord Almighty grant us a quiet night and a perfect end.

Amen.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist, steadfast in the faith.

But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.

Thanks be to God.

The Minister and Choir sing the

Preces & Responses

O God, make speed to save us.

O Lord, make haste to help us.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Praise ye the Lord.

The Lord’s Name be praised.

Please sit as the Choir sings the 

Psalm

Please stand for

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Please sit for the

Lesson

Please remain seated for the Responsory:

Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.

For thou has redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of truth.

Please remain seated for

Hymn

Te lucis ante terminum Rerum creator poscimus; Ut solita clementia, Sis praesul ad custodiam. Procul recedant somnia Et noctium phantasmata; Hostemque nostrum comprime, Ne polluantur corpora. Praesta pater omnipotens, Per Jesum Christum dominum, Qui tecum in perpetuum Regnat cum sancto spirito. Amen.

(Before the ending of the day, Creator of the world, we pray, That with thy wonted favour thou Wouldst be our guard and keeper now. From all ill dreams defend our eyes, From nightly fears and fantasies; Tread under foot our ghostly foe,That no pollution we may know. O Father, that we ask be done, Through Jesus Christ, thine only Son; Who, with the Holy Ghost and thee Doth live and reign eternally. Amen.)

Please remain seated for the

Respond

Keep me as the apple of an eye.

Hide me under the shadow of thy wings.

Please stand as the Choir sings 

Nunc Dimittis

Preserve us, O Lord, while waking, and guard us while sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ and asleep we may rest in peace.

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace: according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen: thy salvation, which thou hast prepared: before the face of all people; to be a light to lighten the Gentiles: and to be the glory of thy people Israel.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

  

Preserve us, O Lord, while waking, and guard us while sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ and asleep we may rest in peace.

Please remain standing to say the 

Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth: and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary: suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead: He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty: from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost: the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints: the forgiveness of sins: the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Minister and Choir sing the 

Suffrages & Responses

Please kneel or sit, according to your custom

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Blessed art thou, Lord God of our fathers,

to be praised and glorified above all for ever.

Let us bless the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

Let us praise and magnify him for ever.

Blessed art thou, O Lord, in the firmament of heaven

to be praised and glorified above all for ever.

The Almighty and most merciful Lord guard us and give us his blessing.

Amen.

 

Remain seated to say the

We confess to God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, that we have sinned in thought, word and deed, through our own grievous fault. Wherefore we pray God to have mercy upon us. Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us all our sins and deliver us from all evil, confirm and strengthen us in all goodness, and bring us to life everlasting; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

The Priest, when present, pronounces the Absolution.

 

After this, the Minister and Choir sing:

Wilt thou not turn again and quicken us

that thy people may rejoice in thee.

O Lord, shew thy mercy upon us

and grant us thy salvation.

Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this night without sin.

O Lord, have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us.

O Lord, hear our prayer

and let our cry come unto thee.

The Minister intones the 

Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious Majesty to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, now and ever. Amen.

O God, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed; give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that both our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments, and also that by thee we being defended from the fear of our enemies may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour. 

Amen.

Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. 

Amen.

Prayers

We will lay us down in peace and take our rest.

For it is thou, Lord, only, that makest us dwell in safety.

The Lord be with you.

And with thy spirit.

Let us bless the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

The Almighty and merciful Lord, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless and preserve us this night and for evermore.

Amen.

Please stand as the Choir and Clergy depart.

Please remain at your seat for the duration of the

Organ Voluntary

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Developed by Clark Brydon (Education & Safeguarding Officer).

n.b.: Translations are provided automatically by Google Translate. Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is not responsible for automatically generated content or for content on external websites.

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